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It’s almost here! This
year’s annual Christmas Pa-
rade is scheduled for 3 p.m.
this Saturday in downtown
8 Kings Mountain.
The parade will con-
tinue tradition and form
"on East Gold Street at
Bl Mountain Rest Ceme-
tery, proceed to West
Gold, turn right on Bat-
tleground Avenue down-
town, right at the overhead
bridge onto King Street and
disband in the area of Cleveland Avenue.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Chapter of the Sons of the
American Revolution (SAR) will provide a full color guard
kmherald.com
with representatives dressed in Revolutionary War period
costumes. The Grand Marshal this year will be the recently
formed Battle of Kings Mountain Chapter of the SAR.
“We’re excited about this new chapter forming here in
Kings Mountain,” said Mayor Rick Murphrey. “This group
plays a big part, every year, in celebrating the October 7th
anniversary of the Battle, bringing thousands of visitors our
way!” Murphrey added. They will be joined by the Colonel
Frederick Hambright Chapter of the Daughters of the Amer-
ican Revolution.
This patriotic opening to the parade will signal the start
of an array of entries representing many local churches, ser-
vice groups, first responders and dance groups. The Kings
Mountain High School Marching Band, directed by Gil
Doggett, will fill the streets with the sound of holiday tunes.
Local businesses like Cherokee Grill, Grapes in a Glass and
See SANTA CLAUS, Page 7
Volume 126 © Issue 49 Wednesday, December 3, 2014
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KINGS MOUNTAIN NC 28086-3450
15¢
Jingle Bell Rockin’ Run
is Saturday morning
DAVE BLANTON
dave.kmherald @gmail.com
Organizers and racers are
gearing up for the annual
Jingle Bell Rockin’ Run
this Saturday morning and
expected to draw around
500 participants for the 5K
walk/run, a 10K Run, and a
Kid’s Fun Run.
The races start at 9 a.m.
at First Baptist Church.
Runners and other partic-
ipants can register at the
YMCA until 2 p.m. Friday
and at the church on the day
of the race from 7 to 8 a.m.
Santa Claus will be mak-
ing an appearance at the
beginning of the festivities.
He’ll also lead the children
in the Fun Run in his golf
cart.
In its eleventh year, the
annual Jingle Bell Rockin’
Run will also feature a cos-
tume contest — with prizes
for children and adults — and
a live DJ.
See JINGLE BELL, Page 7
Fantasy Light Show wows onlookers
400,000 light display has new features this Christmas season
The Downtown Christmas Fantasy of lights and music is expected to draw crowds from a wide area to Kings Mountain this
Christmas season. Mayor Rick Murphrey turned on the lights Monday at 5:30 p.m. as members of city staff and technicians
looked on.
wa DAVE BLANTON
ao
EL dave.kmherald@gmail.com
City officials and vol-
unteers flipped the switch
on the Downtown Kings
Mountain Christmas Fan-
tasy Light Show Monday
night to the awe of a waiting
crowd and passersby who
were witness to the remark-
able dance of lights — set to
the “Carol of the Bells,” a
yuletide mash-up of “Du-
eling Banjos” and Mozart
and Trans-Siberian Orches-
tra selections, among many
other songs.
You can look for several
new features in this year’s
show, which runs though
Jan. 4.
The Colored Cosmic
Ribbon Tree is a giant pix-
el-screen display located
next to the Joy Theater.
“We’re expanding the
show in that direction,” said
Scott Neisler, who’s aid-
ing the city and technician
Donnie Beard in putting on
the popular show. “It’s a
really cool idea, because it
can been used over and over
again and refreshed with
new programs.”
Also adding to the fun
this Christmas is a laser
light show that will play
against some of the large
building fronts on Railroad
Ave.
“We’re trying to stay
cutting edge,” Neisler said
during several days of
testing the light show and
working out the technical
and aesthetic kinks. McA-
denville’s (Christmas light
show) is very traditional.
We’re cutting edge.”
Photo hy ELLEN DEVENNY
Beard, who put on the
dazzling show at his Gold
Run. residence for-sev-
eral years before moving
it. downtown, has this year
added a large snowman to
the lighted objects that blink
and pulsate to the carefully
chosen music, which plays
over Let It Snow Radio
(101.5 FM).
And there’s also a ma-
chine that spews out arti-
ficial snow. (But don’t try
tasting it — organizers say
See LIGHT SHOW, Page 8
Keeter 1s Grover
Parade Marshal
Suzanne (Suzie) Keeter,
retired Grover teacher who
taught three generations of
children during 40 years in
the elementary classroom,
will serve as grand marshal
of the Grover Christmas pa-
rade Saturday at 11a.m.
The high stepping Kings
Mountain High School
Band, cheerleaders, prin-
cesses and beauty queens
will lead off the parade
which will include par-
ticipation by the Grover
Woman’s Club, church
floats, Trail Life USA, the
Civil Air Patrol and Marine
Corps League, the Kings
Mountain Chapter of Sons
of the American Revolu-
tion, Kerns Trucking, Gro-
ver Fire Department and
others, and of course, Santa
Claus.
Keeter was honored as
Teacher of the Year twice
and as Star teacher. “I have
a great love for students and
everywhere I go I get a hug
from a former student,” she
said this week. Anna Grace
Hughes, parade chairman,
said the Grover woman is
honored not only for her
previous long service to stu-
dents, but for her volunteer
work with ‘Good news,’ a
school publication, and by
Suzanne Keeter
her other community ac-
complishments. Keeter also
sponsors young Aljendro of
Honduras, and is active in
church activities.
Keeter said she had col-
lected pigs for a number of
years and on retirement her
students presented her more
collectibles which she cher-
ishes along with the chil-
dren’s pictures. She said she
had “wonderful children
and assistants Karen Houze
and Darnelle Shear.’
The parade lineup will
form in Spring Acres and
will proceed downtown and
disband on Cleveland Ave-
nue.
“We invite everyone
to come out and enjoy the
parade,” said chairman
Hughes.
Wal-Mart
opening next
Wednesday
Walmart Neighbor-
hood Market, 1011 Shelby
Road, will hold its grand
opening and a ribbon-cut-
ting Wednesday, Dec.10,
at 7:30 a.m. Mayor Rick
Murphrey and Chamber
of Commerce officials
will cut the ribbon offi-
cially opening the new
Kings Mountain business
in the Kings Mountain
Plaza Shopping Center.
The handsome 40,000
square foot grocery store
also includes a pharmacy.
The public is invited.
525700200
Council says: Police are pro-active
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @gmail.com
Could the chaos and social
unrest in Ferguson, Missouri
happen here and if it did do
police have policies in place?
The question was posed
by councilman Curtis Pres-
ley at Tuesday night's city
council meeting. “We hate
what happened in Missouri
but it's important for Kings
Mountain and cities across
the country to take note of
everything that has happened
in Ferguson in order to pre-
vent similar situations. We
care about our community,"
he added.
Councilman Keith Miller
was quick to reply that police
have worked hard the last
10 years on being proactive
in this community, He com-
mended police for positive
community relations. “We
are very blessed to have a
police force that has worked
hard to try and stay close to
the people."
Later in the meeting Pres-
ley asked if any special events
were planned for kids in the
community during the hol-
idays. Mayor pro tem Mike
Butler suggested that a good
project would be helping
him and cemetery workers
light the candles on graves at
Mountain Rest Cemetery on
Dec. 24. “Tell everybody to
come at 4 p.m. and help light
the luminaries."
Councilman Tommy
Hawkins and Mayor Rick
Murphrey took the occasion
to comment on Rep. Tim
Moore's nomination by Re-
publicans as the upcoming
Speaker of the House of
See POLICE, Page 7
Building on upswing in New Year 2015
ELIZABETH STEWART
lib.kmherald @ gmail.com
Kings Mountain will
see major building projects
in New Year 2015 totaling
more than $5 million.
Contractors for big
construction projects either
under way or in the plan-
ning stages have bought city
building permits.
Cambridge Oaks Apart-
ments, owned by Greenway
Residential Development of
Charlotte, is currently con-
structing apartments and
a club and office building
at property valuation of
$3.2 million, according to
a building permit issued by
the city of Kings Mountain
codes department.
Venture Properties Dol-
lar General of Wilkesboro,
is building a 9100 square
foot building to be occupied
by Dollar General at 1103
Shelby Road. This new
construction is valued at
$750,000. The new building
will go up across the street
from the shopping center
in which Dollar General is
now located.
Contractor for this proj-
ect is WIMCO Corporation
of Washington, NC.
Creative Structures of
Knoxville, TN is contractor
for O'Reilly Automotive,
Springfield, MO, building
See BUILDING, Page.7
Police
collecting
toys for tots
Kings Mountain Police
Department is collecting
Christmas toys and clothing
for needy children in the
area.
Sgt. Lisa Proctor, who
heads up the Toys for Tots
and Shop with a Cop proj-
ect, said that the department
has obtained the names of
needy families from local
elementary schools and
want to provide them with
Christmas toys and also new
clothing.
“Those who want to help
in this project can deliver
toys or checks for us to buy
clothing for the children to
the police department or
mail checks to KMPD, PO
Box 7, Kings Mountain, NC
28086. said Proctor.
Last Christmas police
delivered hundreds of toys
and winter clothing to the
needy of the community.
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